Knights of the Old Republic: Resurrection
by Revenge's Apprentice
Summary: My name is Leah Keshena. At least, that's what they tell me. But for some reason, I can't help but feel that they're lying. Contains strong language and femmeslash.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Knights of the Old Republic, or any of the characters.**

**AN: Alright, this is the first time I've ever published a story, so be gentle when you review. I'll be working on this story as I can, so I can't promise that the time between updates will be consistent. Just so everyone knows, this will be femRevan/Bastila, so if that isn't your thing, then you probably shouldn't read it. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy****.**

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><p>Knights of the Old Republic: Resurrection<p>

Prologue

I've always had trouble sleeping, at least, for as long as I can remember. Admittedly, that isn't a very long time, as the first memory I have is waking up in a Coruscant hospital, about three months ago. That's not the only thing I remember, but it is my first concrete memory. There are also bits and pieces of my life as a mercenary in the Outer Rim, as well as a few from my childhood on Deralia.

Those memories, well, they all seem wrong to me. The other life, the nameless life from my dreams, that feels real. Everything about _me_ feels wrong. Even my name doesn't feel like my own. The dreams though... The dreams of nightmarish wars, of innocents being slaughtered, of a child who became a great warrior and, above all else, the dreams of _her_, they make me feel complete.

Shifting slightly, I brushed a few raven locks behind my ear with my left hand, twirling my combat knife around with my right. I was the only person currently in the mess hall. Hell, other than the skeleton crew on the Bridge and down in Engineering, I was probably the only person awake. Not that I mind. I prefer solitude to the idiocy of the Republic military.

Perhaps I should explain myself.

My name is Leah Keshena. Three months ago, I awoke in a hospital on Coruscant. Apparently, pirates attacked my ship and I very nearly lost my life. At least, that's what the Jedi who brought me to the hospital told me.

After I was released from the hospital, I was able to do some research on myself and found out I was a rather well known mercenary in the Outer Rim. As I said, I only remember bits and pieces. What I do remember seems to confirm this, though. Anyway, the Republic hired me to protect a Jedi by the name of Bastila Shan, who just so happens to be the woman I've been dreaming about. Coincidence? Doubtful.

I accepted the job of course. I mean I couldn't pass up the chance to get to know her. I'm sure that she knows something about my past and this is my only way of finding out. Not to mention she's rather attractive.

So, that's how I found myself on the Republic _Hammerhead_-class cruiser known as the _Endar Spire_, bound for the Outer Rim world of Taris.

Of course, since the moment I stepped foot on this ship and began spending almost all of my waking time with Bastila, my dreams have only increased. This, in turn, has lead to an extreme decrease in sleep.

I sighed upon hearing the door to the mess hall hiss open, followed by soft footsteps in my direction. I merely continued to stare out the window at the wonderful blue blur of hyperspace, the knife still twirling between my fingers. The footsteps stopped directly behind me.

"May I help ya?" I murmured without turning to look at the person.

"May I sit with you?" _she_ asked in her beautifully cultured Talravanian accent. I froze, recognizing the voice immediately. I turned to look at the woman, quite literally of my dreams, and smiled slightly, before nodding to the seat next to me.

As she sat, I took the moment to study her. It wasn't her exactly that I was looking at. I had already memorized everything about her. It was the newer details that I was paying attention to. The dark bags under her eyes, the way her usually silky, chocolate colored hair appeared limp and unruly. Most important was the almost lifeless quality to her currently dull gray eyes.

"Commander, are ya feelin' alrigh'?" I asked softly.

She sighed, burying her head in her hands. "No," she mumbled, "I feel awful."

"Ya haven' been sleepin' well, have ya?" I asked, gently wrapping my arm around her as I slipped the knife into my boot.

"No," she replied.

I sighed, pushing all thoughts about my dreams and other problems from my head as I focused entirely on her. "Do ya wanna talk about i', Commander?"

She looked up at me then, her nose wrinkling adorably in irritation. "Haven't I told you to stop calling me that?" she growled cutely.

"I s'pose ya have," I replied, grinning at her. "Wha's on yer mind, darlin'?"

She smiled at me tiredly, a light blush coloring her face. She turned away from me shyly, choosing instead to stare out the viewport at the glowing hyperspace tunnel that I had been watching earlier. After a few moments, she leaned her head on my shoulder, sighing softly. "I've been having dreams, nightmares, lately," she murmured.

I thought about that for a moment, wondering once more if this was a coincidence. "Abou' what?" I asked curiously.

"War, death… love," she mumbled.

Okay, definitely not a coincidence.

"Well, what a curious happenstance? My dreams o' late have been similar," I said.

I was surprised by the look she gave me. She looked excited, almost hopeful. "Shared dreams are usually a sign of a Force bond," she said, staring at me excitedly. "Which would mean that you're a Force sensitive."

I blinked. "Ya think I'm a Force sensitive and tha' we share some sort o' bond?" I asked, hoping for clarification.

"Precisely," she replied, her eyes now alight with new life.

"Why do ya think tha'? It can' just be the fact tha' we share dreams?" I asked suspiciously. "Which, by the way, ya don' even know fer sure tha' we do?"

She blushed brightly now, looking away from me. "I can feel you," she murmured so softly that I almost didn't hear her. "I can feel you so much better than I can feel anyone else. I don't even have to try. Your emotions just… come to me." She stopped, looking up at me with shining eyes. "Sometimes I can hear your thoughts without actually trying to."

I blushed a little at that. "What, uh… What exactly did ya hear?"

"Nothing really important," she said, shaking her head. Then a playful smile appeared on her face. "Just that you think it's cute the way my nose crinkles when I'm irritated and that you like the way my hips sway when I walk." By now I was blushing bright red, as was she. "And that you think I have the nicest bum you've ever seen."

"Okay!" I yelped, looking anywhere but her. "I ge' i'. We've go' some sort o' Force bond." I waited until I had the blush under control before I looked at her again. "What does tha' mean?"

"It means that we'll have to see whether or not the Jedi will except you for training once we're done with this mission," she replied.

"Alrigh'," I murmured. Not that I was particularly excited about it, but she seemed to be.

She smiled at me before laying her head back on my shoulder. We sat there silently, both content to simply be together.

"We should probably be gettin' ta bed, darlin'," I murmured after several minutes. I didn't receive a response. Upon looking down, I found that Bastila had fallen asleep.

With a sigh, I lifted her into my arms and stood, cradling her bridal style. I moved gently, heading toward the upper deck where her room was located. Upon reaching her room, I hit the button to open the door, careful not to wake Bastila, and slipped into the room, the door closing behind me with a hiss. Laying her on the bunk, I carefully removed her robe and boots, leaving her in the tan tunic and pants that all members of the Jedi Order seemed to wear.

As I turned to leave, a hand gripped onto my own.

Looking down at her, I noticed that she was staring up at me with sleepy gray eyes. "Stay," she murmured.

I looked around the room uncomfortably. "Darlin', I ain't so sure-"

"Please," she murmured, gray eyes pleading.

Sighing, I sat down on the edge of her bed and bent down to remove the knife from my boot and set it on the nightstand before pulling my boots off. I removed both my jacket and the holster that held my blaster, hanging both off the nightstand.

Lying back on the bed, I smiled at Bastila and held my arms out. She smiled tiredly, moving into my arms and snuggling into me. I held the woman tight as we both began to drift off. Just before I fell asleep, she murmured quietly.

"Night Revan. I love you."

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><p><strong>AN: So, what do you think?<strong>


	2. CH1: The Fallen Spire

**Disclaimer: I do not own Knights of the Old Republic, or any of the characters.**

**AN: I apoligize, this chapter was supposed to be published on Sunday, but I've been busy. I'll try to publish a chapter at least once a week. Anyway, hope you enjoy the next installment of Resurrection.**

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><p>Knights of the Old Republic: Resurrection<p>

Chapter 1: The Fallen Spire

I was awoken by the unmistakable lurch of a ship exciting hyperspace.

With an irritated sigh, I sat up, rubbing at my left eye. Sliding to the edge of the bunk, I slipped my feet into my boots and laced them up tight. Next I grabbed my belt and put that on, making sure that the blaster was secure in its holster. The jacket came next and finally, the knife.

I flipped the knife around the fingers of my right hand a few times, smiling slightly at the weapon. Cracking my neck, I shoved the blade into my boot as I stood to stretch. I froze, however, upon noticing my surroundings.

This most certainly was not my room.

As I looked down at the single bunk in the room, I recalled bringing Bastila back to her room last night when she fell asleep. Then… Then she had asked me to stay with her. And I had.

"Shit," I muttered.

I was definitely going to be in a mess of trouble for this. My bunkmate had to have reported that I wasn't in the room when he came back from his shift. That idiot Olgo was a real stickler for rules.

On the topic of bunkmates, where the hell did Bastila go? Wait, the ship had exited hyperspace. The officers would have wanted her on the Bridge when that happened. Of course, she should have woken me up before she left. I am her bodyguard after all.

With a shake of my head, I decided I should probably head up to the Bridge and get to the guarding of said body. As I palmed the door release, the ship lurched to port, sending me flying into the wall. There were several more shuttering impacts, which I immediately recognized as turbolaser fire.

"The frak!" I snarled, steadying myself against the wall.

"Attention all hands, this is Commander Onasi!" the intercom blared as klaxon alarms sounded. "A Sith battle fleet has dropped out of hyperspace around us. All hands to battle stations!"

With several more curses, I pushed myself away from the wall and sprinted down the corridor to the lift. My fist slammed against the call button, repeating the motion several times as I waited impatiently for the lift. As the door slid open, I was thrown into the elevator as the _Spire_ gave another, much greater, lurch.

Damn it! That was most certainly a boarding craft.

"Attention! A Sith boarding party has breached the port dormitory airlock on C-Deck! All hands stand by to repel borders!" Onasi shouted over the intercom.

Wait. The lift I'm in opens at that dormitory.

My left hand flew to my blaster as I simultaneously dove to the side, taking cover by the door. The door opened not a second later and blaster fire rained inward.

The shots stopped moments later and I jumped from cover, snapping off four quick shots in rapid succession. Four silver-clad troopers collapsed to the ground as my eyes took in the rest of the corridor.

Moving into the empty corridor, I headed to the right. As I was passing my bunk, the door hissed open.

My bunkmate, Trask Olgo, stared fearfully down the barrel of my blaster, sweat forming on his brow. I rolled my eyes and turned back toward my destination.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked. I ignored him and kept walking.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

"Olgo, will ya shut the frak up?" I demanded as I moved away. Irritatingly enough, he felt the need to follow me.

"You weren't in your bunk when I arrived at the end of my shift," he said. I rolled my eyes again.

"How'd ya figure tha' one out?" I sneered, coming to a stop as the ship lurched once more.

He opened his mouth to reply, but was thankfully cut off by the intercom. "Attention! Boarders have breached the starboard dormitory airlock on C-Deck!"

"Damn it," I muttered, moving more quickly.

Olgo caught up, drawing his blaster and giving me a hard look. I sighed in irritation as I looked at the closed door ahead. Looking to Olgo, I motioned for him to move to the left, while I took the right. I held up my right hand, three fingers extended, and counted down.

On one, I hit the door release and the two of us whirled around the corner and unleashed fire on the two Sith standing inside. I was halfway across the room before their bodies hit the floor.

The door slid open just in time for me to see two Republic soldiers and a Sith trooper get blown in different directions by a grenade.

"How much ya wanna be' tha' a Sith threw tha' grenade?" I murmured.

"No contest," Olgo replied, moving to peak around the corner cautiously. He ducked back around as a blaster bolt shot passed. "Three across the intersection."

"Wonderful," I replied. Turning to face one of the dead Republic soldiers behind me, I pulled off his helmet and threw it out into the intersection. As the troopers fired at the helmet, Olgo and I gunned them down.

"Idiots," I muttered. Olgo smirked.

We turned right at the intersection and headed to the door at the end. We stopped at the door, as we could hear the sounds of lightsabers clashing on the other side. After a brief moment of hesitation, Olgo opened the door.

"Frak me!" I hissed, recognizing the Jedi immediately. Though it almost pained me to do so, I sprinted forward in order to assist the Jedi. I reached down, slipping the knife from my boot as I moved.

"What the hell are you doing!" Olgo shouted behind me.

The dark Jedi glanced my way then used the Force to push the Jedi away. He turned to me, his lightsaber raised. As the saber came down, I used my knife to block it. The Sith jerked back in surprise as his saber bounced off of the knife. This provided me with the opportunity to bring my knee up into his groin. The saber slipped from his grip, my left hand catching it as my right brought the knife through his throat.

I deactivated the saber and slipped it into one of the many pockets on my cargo pants, whilst the Jedi and Olgo where still staring at the fallen Sith in shock.

What? Lightsabers are worth a lot of money on the black market.

"Looked like ya needed some help, Kerensky," I said to the Jedi.

Kayla Kerensky's head whipped around to face me, annoyance flashing across her blue eyes. She schooled her features quickly, wiping a few stray strands of black hair behind her ear as she deactivated her blue blade.

"As if I would require your aid, mercenary," she bit out. "I had things perfectly-"

"How did you do that!" Olgo butted in, staring at me in awe.

"Cortosis knife," I replied, shrugging.

"But… but… you were so fast," he stuttered. I sighed in annoyance.

"Is i' really necessary fer me ta explain this ta ya? In case ya haven' noticed, we're kinda in a hurry," I said, moving past Kerensky and toward the door that lead to the Bridge.

"Excuse me? I'm the one who is in charge here," Kerensky growled, blocking my path.

"Tha' may be so Knight, but I was hired ta protect Bastila. Tha's all I was hired for. In no part o' my contract does i' say tha' I have ta obey you," I snapped. "So ge' the hell outta my way, or I will bury this knife in yer heart."

She stared at me in shock for several moments before moving to the side. I sheathed my knife back in my boot then moved past her, muttering a quiet, "Thank ya."

The door to the Bridge opened and my left hand pulled my blaster from its holster and snapped off two quick shots at the still turning troopers that had been guarding the door. A shot flew passed my head and hit the last trooper, who had just executed the only remaining Republic soldier on the Bridge.

I glanced at Olgo, then moved onto the Bridge and glanced around.

"Bastila ain't here," I stated.

"They would be headed for the escape pods by now," Kerensky replied quietly.

"Then tha's where we go next," I said, moving around the central consoles to the door on the other side of the room.

As we were walking through the briefing room, the door on the far side of the room hissed open, revealing another dark Jedi. The man stared for a moment before going for his lightsaber. Olgo bolted passed me and tackled the man through the door.

"Get to the escape pods!" he shouted, raising his blaster and shooting the door controls. The door slid shut, blocking him off.

I shook my head and walked toward the door that would lead to the escape pods.

"What are you doing? We can't just leave him!" Kerensky shouted. I paused.

"He chose ta sacrifice 'imself ta le' us ge' away," I replied, glancing over my shoulder at the Jedi. "This is war. Survival is yer own responsibility."

I continued through the door and after a moment, I heard her follow.

"That's a very cynical outlook," she hissed. I could practically feel her glaring at the back of my head.

"It's the truth," I replied emotionlessly.

She was about to respond when her comlink beeped. I paused and turned to her as she pulled the device from her belt. "This is Knight Kerensky."

"Kerensky, this is Onasi. I'm tracking your position through the _Endar Spire's_ life support systems," the commander spoke calmly. "Bastila's escape pod is away – you two are the only surviving crew members of the _Endar Spire_. I can't wait for you much longer; you have to get to the escape pods!"

"Roger that, we're on our way now," Kerensky replied before replacing the com on her belt.

We rounded the corner and I immediately put two blaster shots in a trooper who was standing at the end of the hallway. I didn't give the man another glance as I walked down a side hallway, Kerensky only a few steps behind.

The troopers in the next room were easily dispatched, but Kerensky stopped me as I went to open the door that would lead us onward.

"What?" I snapped.

"There are five Sith troopers waiting for us on the other side of that door," she murmured.

"So?" I hissed in annoyance. She looked at me as if I were stupid.

"I prefer not to walk into traps, thank you," she replied coldly.

"They don' stand a chance agains' us. They'd hardly stand a chance agains' me alone," I growled. She continued to stare at me evenly. "Fine!"

I marched over to a terminal in the corner of the room and hacked into the ship's defense systems. Locating a power conduit in the room that the troopers occupied, I executed an overload command.

"There!" I snapped, opening the door and walking over the smoldering corpses. The door on the opposite side of the room opened and Commander Onasi motioned us in.

"You've made it just in time," he said, prepping an escape pod for launch. "This is the only active escape pod left. Come on, we can hide out on the planet below."

As Onasi moved into the pod and took the pilot's seat, both Kerensky and I took seats on opposite sides of the pod. The door sealed shut as we strapped ourselves in. "Hold on tight," Onasi ordered as he pushed the thrust control to maximum.

The pod rocketed out of the _Endar Spire_ and tilted downward, moving toward Taris. I looked out the tiny viewport at the rear of the pod just in time to see the _Spire_ erupt into a fireball. I let out a shaky breath at our close call and rested my head back against the wall.

"Shit!" Onasi shouted.

"What's wrong?" Kerensky called.

"We're coming in too hot. The airbrakes failed out," he replied. I noticed him grip onto his seat tightly. "Brace yourselves!"

As I looked for something to hold onto, the pod slammed against something. There was a sharp pain in the back of my head and then my world went dark.

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><p><strong>AN: Well, there's chapter 1. Kerensky is going to be important to the story at a later point. I promise that I'll try not to make her a Mary-Sue. And Leah's hatred of Kerensky will be explained later. Anyway, I'll try to have chapter 2 sometime between Sunday and Wednesday, but once again, I make no promises.<strong>


	3. CH2: Behind Enemy Lines

**Disclaimer: I do not own Knights of the Old Republic, or any of the characters.**

**AN: Kay, so I took a lot longer than I though to right this chapter. I'm sorry about that. I had to rewrite it a few times and I'm still not happy with it. I might have the next chapter out on time, I've already started on it. Also, I'm sorry that there isn't really any action in this chapter, but that's Taris for you. Worst part of the game. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy.**

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><p>Knights of the Old Republic: Resurrection<p>

Chapter 2: Behind Enemy Lines

_I watched in interest at the duel that was unraveling before me. My eyes lingered more on Bastila than the dark Jedi. She was always able to draw my attention like that._

_Bastila's lightsaber buzzed and snapped as she spun it deftly through the air, intercepting the red blade of her opponent, turning away his assaults as she pressed forward, irritation covering her face._ _The male was aggravating her._

_Her lightsaber struck, intercepted at the last moment by her enemy's crimson blade. Sensing his weakness, she shifted her blade along and under his, knocking it up into the air. Her own blade spun back down, leaving a glowing red scar along the man's dark clothing as he crashed back to the deck. His now deactivated saber hit the ground at my feet._

_I stared dispassionately at the man for a moment before raising my eyes to meet her stormy gray eyes._

I was dimly aware of the fact that I was in a bed when I awoke. The larger part of my brain was focused on the explosive pain behind my eyes. Sighing in irritation, I waited for the pain to dim slightly before slowly opening my eyes. My head erupted in pain once more as I glanced around the room.

I was in a small bedroom. The room itself was almost completely empty, containing nothing but a wardrobe, a nightstand, and a bed. The nightstand had my knife, blaster, and holster all sitting on it. I smiled upon noticing that there were also two aspirin and a glass of water sitting there.

I quickly downed both the aspirin and the water, setting the glass back on the stand as I leaned back on my pillow. After a few minutes, my headache lessened significantly.

With that taken care of, I gave myself a quick once over. My clothes were still there, though my boots and jacket were missing. A scan of the room revealed that my boots were on the floor by the bed, though the jacket was nowhere in sight.

My hand then went to my left thigh, checking the pocket for the lightsaber I had stolen from the dark Jedi on the _Endar Spire_. I let out a relieved sigh upon discovering that it was still there. It wouldn't do for that to be discovered by anyone.

I slid out of the bed and moved over to the wardrobe to get a better look at myself in the mirror. Staring back at me was an expressionless face.

I looked myself over, from head to toe, taking in the shoulder-length, raven hair, dark brown eyes, and perfectly sculpted nose. There were muscles, though not enough to detract from my overall curvy appearance. Scars crisscrossed my arms and back, easily noticeable in the white tank top that I wore.

There were tattoos also, three of them. One was on my right deltoid, a blue lightsaber pointing upward, superimposed over a golden sun with the word "Defend" underneath it. I recall getting it when I became a mercenary after Deralia was destroyed. My dreams countered this with the knowledge that I had gotten it when I had gone off to fight the Mandalorians during the war. As with all else, I was unsure of which was true.

Another was on the left side of my neck, this one a phrase. "For my beautiful angel," it read in curvy script. Neither my memories nor my dreams could give me any indication of when I received this tattoo.

The final tattoo was on the inside of my left wrist, though it was not an actual tattoo. It was a brand, burned into the skin. "P/W 0153-C10," it read. It was clearly the mark of a prisoner of war. There was a brief moment where I recalled various tortures that I had been subjected to. I shook my head angrily to dispel the memory.

I whirled away from the mirror and marched back to the bed, quickly equipping my boots and other items before I walked out of the room. The room I entered was obviously the living room. There were two couches around a coffee table in the center of the room, a man sitting on the one that was facing away from me. In one corner, under a window that spanned an entire wall, were to chairs, while the other corner of that wall contained a desk and chair. The wall opposite of that had a door in one corner and a kitchenette in the other, while the wall across from me had a single door in the center. The room I had just left was one of two on that wall.

I looked at the man, who I now realized was Commander Carth Onasi, one of the _Spire's_ pilots, and cleared my throat.

His head jerked around to face me as he dropped the datapad he had been reading and began reaching for one of his blasters. Upon noticing me, he calmed hesitantly and smiled ever so slightly.

"Jumpy?" I murmured, eyebrow raised. He chuckled quietly, retrieving the datapad from the floor.

"No, we just didn't expect you up for another few hours," he replied, giving me a quick once over before nodding in approval. "Its good to see you up instead of thrashing about in your sleep. You must have been having one hell of a nightmare."

I shrugged slightly, dropping onto the couch across from him. "Nothing out of the usual," I replied.

"You've been slipping in and out of consciousness for the past three days so I imagine you're pretty confused about things," he said, glancing around the room, then refocusing on me. "Try not to worry. We're safe, for the moment. We're in an abandoned apartment in the Tarisian Upper City." I looked around the apartment again. It was nice for something that had been abandoned. "You were banged up pretty badly when the escape pod crashed, but luckily neither Kayla nor I were seriously hurt. I was able to carry you away from the crash site in all the confusion and we stumbled upon this abandoned apartment. By the time the Sith arrived on the scene, we were long gone."

"I s'pose I owe ya my thanks then," I said, nodding at him. "Don' expect me ta go thankin' Kerensky though." He laughed in response.

"She is a Jedi; there'll all pretty cold," he said humorously. Then he nodded at me, as he said, "You don't have to thank me. I've never abandoned anyone on a mission and I'm not about to start now." He shrugged then, smiling slightly. "Besides, we're going to need your help."

"Ah, there i' is, the ulterior motive," I laughed.

"Taris is under Sith control," he stated, his expression serious. "Their fleet is orbiting the planet, they've declared martial law, and they've imposed a planet wide quarantine." Here he paused, and then flashed a quick smile. "But I've been in worse spots."

Sliding the datapad across the table to me, he nodded at it. I picked it up, discovering that it had a profile of me on it. I glanced over it, then looked back at him.

"It says on your profile that you understand a remarkable number of alien languages. That's pretty rare in a raw recruit, but it should come in handy while we're stranded on a foreign world," he remarked, impressed.

"I've been a mercenary in the outer rim since I was fifteen. Ya pick up a lot," I replied, shrugging. He nodded in understanding.

"I don't usually approve of working with mercenaries, but as there's no way for the Republic to get through the Sith blockade to provide reinforcements, I'm willing to make an exception," he stated.

"Don' I jus' feel all warm 'n' fuzzy inside," I stated cheerfully. He smirked.

"If we're going to find Bastila and get off this planet, than we can only depend on ourselves," he remarked.

"Right. So, where's the bitch-queen?" I asked.

"Excuse me?" Kerensky hissed, walking in from the room next to mine.

"Ah, I have my answer," I stated, smirking at Onasi.

"I was sleeping!" she snapped, taking a seat next to Onasi. "It takes a lot of energy using the Force to heal a concussion! You should be thankful that you're awake this soon. If I hadn't been here, it could have taken weeks for you to heal."

I blinked, then glanced at Onasi, who looked uncomfortable. I looked back at the Jedi, who appeared to be reigning in her anger. Damn it, now I felt the tiniest, almost nonexistent bit of guilt. I hate guilt.

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

"What?" she asked shocked.

"I'm sorry," I repeated. "Thanks fer healin' me."

She stared at me for several moments before she regained her bearings. "I… um, yes, well… You're welcome." She seemed uncomfortable now.

I nodded at her then turned to Onasi. "So, wha's the plan?"

"Bastila's going to need our help," he stated.

"Figure tha' out all on yer own, did ya?" I replied sarcastically. He glared at me.

"The way I figure it," he continued, "the Sith aren't going to be looking for a couple of common soldiers like us. If we're careful, we can move about the planet without attracting notice, a luxury that Bastila won't have. She's going to have half the Sith fleet looking for her."

"Did ya jus' call me a common soldier?" I asked angrily. Common soldier my ass!

"So," he said, continuing as if I hadn't said anything, "if Bastila's going to escape Taris, she's going to need our help, and we'll more than likely need hers."

"Ya seriously called me a common soldier?" I hissed. "There ain't nothin' common abou' me."

"Fine, you're not a common soldier!" he snapped.

"And don' ya ferget i'," I replied. Ignoring their glares, I asked, "Do we know where she migh' be?"

"Well, while you were out, I did some scouting around," Onasi replied, glancing at Kerensky quickly, then facing me again. "There are reports of some Republic escape pods crashing in the Under City. That's probably a good place to start." He paused for a moment, choosing his next words. "The Under City is a dangerous place. We don't want to go there unprepared and it won't do Bastila any good if we get ourselves killed."

"Right," I agreed. "Well then, le's ge' goin'. I wanna find Bastila an' ge' off this rock as quick as we can."

"Alright, but remember, we have to keep a low profile. I've heard some pretty grim stories about dark Jedi interrogation techniques," Onasi replied as he stood from the couch and moved over to the desk, where his blaster holsters rested. "They say the Force can do terrible things to a mind. It can wipe away your memories and destroy your very identity." I couldn't help but notice Kerensky flinch at this. I filed that away for later use. "But I figure if we don't do anything stupid, we should be alright."

"M'kay, but if we wanna keep a low profile, than we should probably ge' some disguises," I stated, staring blankly at his orange flight jacket. At least he had the common sense to remove the Republic insignia off the sleeves. "I' won' do fer ya ta be walkin' around lookin' like a Republic soldier." I turned and looked at our Jedi friend, who so far had been silent. "Kerensky, ya can' come."

"What!" she shouted in irritation. "Why not?"

"'Cause no matter how much we disguise ya, it'll still be obvious tha' yer a Jedi," I replied, giving her a quick once over. "Ya jus' give off the Jedi feel."

Kerensky looked like she was about to retort when Onasi cut in. "Kayla," he said, his tone diplomatic. "As much as I hate to admit it, Leah's right. Anyone would be able to tell that you're a Jedi, no matter how we disguise you. It's got a lot to do with your stance."

"My stance?" she murmured curiously.

"Yeah, ya've go' the holier-than-thou Jedi stance," I replied. Carth nodded.

"Very well," she muttered in acquiescence.

"Wonderful," I stated cheerfully. "Le's go Onasi. We should star' by earnin' some credits. We'll need better equipmen' if we're goin' in the Under City. And, ya know, we can' afford those disguises either."

"Right," he agreed, shedding his orange jacket, leaving him with a plain white undershirt. "Where do you suggest we go to earn fast credits?"

"The local cantina o' course," I replied, moving to the door. "There's always a way ta earn credits in a cantina." I paused, whirling around to face them. "Oh, what did ya'll do with my jacket?"

"Jacket?" Carth muttered, confused. Kerensky perked, looking over.

"When the pod crashed there was a fire," she said, shrugging. "Your jacket was fused to the seat by the fire. I had to cut it and the harness off of you to get you out."

"Ah, damn it," I sighed. I liked that jacket. It was made of kath hound leather. "Ah well, I guess I can find a new jacket." I sighed in irritation. "Thank ya again Kerensky."

"You're welcome," she replied with a small smile.

"Don' ge' used to i'," I muttered, turning and heading out the door with Onasi on behind me.

I stepped out into the corridor, only to be immediately confronted by a Sith officer and two sentinel droids harassing two duros. I sighed in irritation as Carth moved forward, a hand on each of his Mandalorian blaster pistols.

"Okay you alien scum, everybody get up against the wall. This is a raid," the officer stated, aiming his rifle at the two civilians.

"_There was a patrol here just yesterday and they found nothing_," one of the duros said calmly in his warbling language. "_Why do you Sith keep bothering us?_"

The officer turned his rifle on the duros who had spoken. A shot rang out and a body hit the floor. The two droids whirled around, rifles coming to bear on me.

"Hi there," I said cheerfully, then blasted the droid on the right while Onasi shot the one on the left.

"_Th-thank you_," the duros who had almost been shot stuttered. "_If you hadn't been here I would have died._"

"Yeah, don' mention i'," I replied, walking away. Then I paused and turned around to give them a hard stare. "Seriously, don' mention i'."

"_Of course_," the other responded, understanding the message. "_No one will know you were here. We'll take care of the bodies._"

"Wonderful," I replied with a bright smile. "Come along Onasi, I believe these two were very busy."

The two of us walked around the complex until we arrived at the elevator that would take us to the lobby. As soon as the doors closed, Onasi turned to look at me.

"That was a good thing you did," he said, smiling faintly. I shrugged.

"Don' ge' used to i'," I replied, glancing briefly at him, then turning back to the door. "We couldn' risk that Sith seeing us an' reportin' back ta his superiors. My reasons were based purely on logic. I didn' care whether they lived or died."

"Of course," he replied, disbelieving.

The elevator beeped and the door slid open, giving me an appropriate escape from the soldier. Upon exiting the lobby, I could immediately see the escape pod teetering on the edge of the street; several salvage droids tearing it apart.

I let out a low whistle. "That was a close one, wasn' i'?" I asked rhetorically.

"Yeah," Onasi muttered. "I did what I could, but we almost ended up plunging to an early grave."

"Well, I'm glad we had ya with us then," I stated, giving him what I hoped was a thankful look. "Another pilot might not have been able ta save us."

"Like I said, you don't have to thank me," he said, looking away from me.

"I wasn'," I replied, shrugging. "I was merely statin' a fact." There was an awkward silence for a few moments before I cleared my throat. "Ya wouldn' happened ta have found a cantina when ya were scoutin', would ya?"

"Yeah, follow me," he said, heading off across the street. I followed him through a small building that had an equipment emporium in it, then out onto a walkway that led to a large door.

We passed by the Sith trooper guarding the door and entered the cantina. Music filled the air as the inner door opened, a few people glancing at us from the pazaak tables, then back down.

"Ya any good a' pazaak," I asked, glancing at Onasi.

"Not good enough to win against any of these guys," he stated, glancing at the pazaak players.

"So, ya suck then?" I quipped.

"Yeah," he muttered.

"Wonderful, me too," I replied, moving through the room and into the dining area. "I s'pose we'll have ta find somethin' else then." I looked around the area briefly, then turned to Onasi. "Alrigh', le's check the lounge firs'."

We stepped into the lounge and were immediately accosted by a male human.

"Well hello there!" the man shouted in an oily, too cheerful voice. "I see from your exotic appearance that you are not from Taris originally. Allow me introduce myself; my name is Jergan." He held his hand out to Onasi, who shook it briefly, then me. I stared at the offending appendage until he pulled back, laughing nervously.

"What do you think of our local music? The band is quite good, wouldn't-" he paused as I held my hand up.

"I'll stop ya righ' there, 'cause I already know where this is goin'," I sighed in annoyance. "I don' wanna meet the band that ya aren' really plannin' ta introduce me to. So please, buzz off."

"Jergan" stared at me in shock for several moments before giving another nervous chuckle and excusing himself. Idiot.

"How did you know he was running a con?" Onasi asked as he looked around the room for anyone who might be offering a job.

"I've seen plenty o' con artists in the Outer Rim. He gave all the signs," I replied. I was quiet for a moment before I continued. "An' tha' guy over there was makin' a slashin' motion across 'is throat," I stated, motioning to a man who was now watching the band.

"Ah," Onasi muttered. He looked around once more, then looked at me. "See anyone worth note?"

"Not in here," I replied, turning and walking out of the room, then heading for the next. This room contained the bar. As we headed toward the bar, I was once again accosted, though it was a human female this time.

"Where did you get those clothes? A trash compactor in the Lower City? And where are those drinks we ordered?" the female, who I decided to call Bitch-Pants McSchutta, drawled. I growled.

"Do I look like a waitress?" I snapped.

"Careful what you say," Onasi muttered behind me, "I've a feeling this spoiled brat could cause us more trouble than she's worth."

"Why is the help here so incompetent?" Bitch-Pants snapped at me. "One word to daddy and I could get you fired." There was a smug air about her, as if this was supposed to scare me.

"I. Don'. Work. Here. You. Dumbass," I ground out as slowly as I could. Her eyes went wide.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" she snarled. It was about as threatening as a kath pup. She began marching away, shouting about how "daddy would here about this" and "I'd rue this day." I ignored her.

"Is everyone in this cantina stupid?" I asked as Onasi and I stepped up to the bar and attempted to get the bartender's attention. "One of them thought we looked 'exotic', whatever tha' means, and the other thinks I look like a waitress."

"Everyone clearly enjoys pissing you off too much," Onasi replied, smirking at me.

"I guess," I muttered, then turned my attention to the barkeep. "Excuse me, do ya know if anyone aroun' here is lookin' ta hire a couple o' mercs?"

"I don't know about that, but they're always looking for fresh competition in the dueling ring," the barkeep replied, motioning to a nearby viewscreen. There were two men on the screen, firing at each other from across the ring. The match was over rather quickly, the winner a man named Gerlon Two-Fingers.

"Alrigh', thanks," I said, nodding to the bartender as we left the room and headed to the room where duels were set up. There was a Hutt sitting at the back of the room, who I took to be the pit boss. I headed straight for him.

"Excuse me, do you se' up the duels?" I queried.

"_Yes_," the Hutt replied, a putrid smell flowing forth from his maw. "_My name is Ajuur. I organize all of the duels here. We are currently looking for a new face in the dueling game, human. Are you interested in the game? It can be a very profitable venture._"

"Exactly why I'm here," I replied, smiling at the disgusting creature.

"_Excellent,_" Ajuur rumbled, motioning for a droid to hand him a datapad. "_I can set you up with the standard contract: 10% of all wagers._" Ten percent? What the hell! "_And don't worry, nobody dies in the dueling ring anymore. Death matches are illegal nowadays._" He handed me the datapad, which listed all of the important aspects of the contract. "_Most fighters in the duel ring use vibroblades or stun sticks because the ring's pretty small, but a few of the duelists use blasters. Whichever you prefer._"

"Vibroblades and blasters? And nobody ever dies?" Onasi questioned disbelievingly. "Why do I get the feeling that you're trying to take us for a ride?"

"_The duel ring had energy suppressor fields to make sure nobody dies,_" Ajuur explained, barely glancing at the soldier. "_Weapons are limited so they hurt, but don't kill. And we've got a medic droid in case of serious injuries. Are you interested?_"

"I am," I replied, then looked over the contract. "I wan' twenty percent though."

He laughed outright. "_You're joking, right? If I pay you more, then everyone wants more._"

"Either ya give me twenty, or I walk," I replied. A smirk broke across my face. "Jus' think o' all the credits I could earn fer ya though."

The Hutt's eyes glazed over and he murmured, "_Yes, I suppose you would bring in extra credits. Very well, twenty percent. You will tell no one of this though._"

"O' course not," I replied, smiling as I handed his droid the datapad.

"_Excellent, but you will need a nickname. Good nicknames make people bet more,_" the Hutt muttered, looking me over. Suddenly he snapped one of his fat fingers. "_You're an off-worlder; new around here. From now on, you will be known in the duel ring as the Mysterious Stranger._"

That's got to be the worst nickname ever. "Great," I replied cheerfully.

"_It's a perfect name for you,_" he said, rubbing at his chin. "_You've no past, no history. Makes you seem like you've got some big, dark secret. People like that. Makes them bet more._"

"I suppose that's for the best," Onasi whispered next to me. "We can use the credits from these duels, but using your real name is too risky. The Sith may have come across a crew manifest back on the _Spire_."

"_If you're ready for you're first duel,_" Ajuur suddenly spoke up, "_then we can provide you with combat armor and you can step into the ring with Deadeye Duncan._"

"Alrigh'," I said, smirking wickedly.

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><p><strong>AN: So, how was it?<strong>


	4. CH3: Uptown Life

**Disclaimer: I do not own Knights of the Old Republic, or any of the characters.**

**AN: K, before I start, I'm honestly really sorry about how late this update is. I had writer's block for the longest time, which, I again blame on Taris. Honestly, once I get past the Taris Arc of the story, the updates will probably come faster and they'll definitely be more interesting. Anyway, I'm not particularly happy with this chapter, but, it was all I could come up with, so, here we go.**

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><p>Knights of the Old Republic: Resurrection<p>

Chapter 3: Uptown Life

I laughed hysterically as Twitch hit the ground, unconscious.

"The fight is over!" the announcer shouted. "Twitch's reign of terror is over! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new champion; the Mysterious Stranger!"

The crowd roared around me as I twirled, arms outstretched. I took several bows and backed out of the arena, the medical team rushing by me to check on the downed Rodian.

After a quick stop in the locker room to take a shower and change back into my own clothes, I headed back up to the cantina. As I entered Ajuur's office, the other duelists and the few patrons within applauded. Onasi gave me a quick pat on the back and a rare smile.

"I'll admit it," he said, chuckling, "that was damned impressive."

"Yeah, I'm pretty damn amazing, ain't I?" I replied, smirking. He shook his head, laughing.

"Don't let it go to your head."

"We'll see," I replied then moved passed him. Marl stopped me, a wide grin on his face.

"That was one of the greatest matches I've ever seen. You're good, Stranger… maybe even as good as Bendak in his prime," he stated, the grin never leaving his face. "There's no shame in losing to you. But when you beat me you made me realize something, kid." The grin dropped from his face and he got a faraway look in his eye. "First it was just Twitch I couldn't handle. Now it's you and Twitch. Pretty soon there'll be another young hotshot clawing past me in the rankings."

"Aw, c'mon Marl," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Ya've still go' plenty o' fight in ya."

"This game's been good to me, but my time is done," he replied, shaking his head. "I need to get away from the duel rings for awhile, think things over. Goodbye, Stranger. I wish you all the best."

"I'll see ya, ol' timer," I said, patting him on the back as he walked by. I moved over to talk to Ajuur before anyone else could catch me.

"Alrigh' slug, pay up," I hissed, smirking at the creature. He glared at me.

"_Congratulations Stranger,_" he muttered, "_you're the new Taris dueling champion._" He simply sat there and glared at me for several moments before I cleared my throat. Sighing, he handed over the thousand credits I had earned for my final duel.

"_Unfortunately,_" he said, sounding pleased with himself, "_I have no one left who wants to fight you; you're too good for your own good._" Then, with a slightly nervous, yet also greedy look on his ugly mug, he muttered, "_Unless, of course, you can convince Bendak Starkiller to come out of retirement._"

"Bendak Starkiller," I murmured. "He's the one who only fights in death matches, right? The former duel champion?"

"_The very same,_" Ajuur replied, greed lacing his tone. "_People would pay a fortune to see a duel between the two of you._"

I thought about this for several moments, before I asked, "And if I could convince him to come out of retirement to fight me? Would you be willing to arrange that?"

"_Well, it would be highly illegal,_" he whispered, leaning forward conspiratorially. "_But, I would perhaps be willing to arrange the duel if you could convince Bendak to do it. After all, this duel could make me rich._" He rubbed his hands together, a frightening amount of lust in his eyes.

"Alrigh', I'll see wha' I can do," I replied, turning and heading out of the office. Bendak could usually be found in the pazaak den, so I headed straight there, ignoring Onasi, who ran after me.

As I entered the den, I spotted Bendak in the corner that was generally considered to be his by the other patrons. As I approached, he glanced up at me, his face hidden behind a yellow Neo-Crusader mask.

"I've been watching you in the dueling ring," he said, turning back to his table and indicating the chair across from him. I dropped into the seat and placed my right elbow on the table, resting my chin on my hand. "I'm tempted to come out of retirement and show you what it's like to do battle against a real champion."

"I'm ready ta take ya on, Starkiller," I replied, smirking at the Mandalorian. He shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're cocky," he stated.

"Only 'cause I know I can win," I said, my smirk growing. He chuckled.

"I like you, Stranger," he said, leaning forward. His voice dropped when he continued. "Fair warning, I only fight in death matches."

"Tha's wha' I've come ta understand," I stated.

"Finally, fresh meat," he laughed, pushing his chair back and jumping up. "I'll talk to Ajuur about getting the duel set up. Meet me in his office at midnight the day after tomorrow."

"I'll be there," I said, standing and shaking his hand. He whirled and marched toward Ajuur's office, several people parting quickly to get out of his way. I turned to leave, stopping upon noticing Onasi staring at me in shock.

"What?"

"How could you… What were you… What about Bastila?" he stammered out.

" Wha' do ya mean?" I asked curiously as we walked out of the cantina.

"You're going to go get yourself killed in a duel when we have much more important matters to deal with," he snapped. I stopped and turned to him.

"Ya really think I can' beat him, don' ya?" I muttered, glaring slightly.

"I really don't," he hissed, arms crossed.

With a sigh, I turned and continued onward, shaking my head at him. "Relax, ye o' li'l faith," I said calmly. "I can take Starkiller, no problem."

"You don't know that," he argued, stomping to catch up with me.

"I do."

"Don't!"

"Do."

"Fine!" he snarled, throwing his hands in the air and marching passed me. I laughed and moved a little faster to catch up. We came around the corner and stopped upon noticing the two Rodians that were waiting for us.

The brat from the cantina that thought I was a waitress stepped around the corner and glared at me. "You need a lesson on how to treat your social betters," she stated haughtily. "Maybe you'll think twice before mocking me next time. Break her legs."

The two thugs moved forward, raising their stun batons. I laughed at them outright, then pulled my blaster and shot one in the knee. He dropped to the ground and the other stopped, glancing at his partner, then at me, shocked.

"Do the smar' thing," I told him, rolling the blaster around my finger. He nodded, helped the other up, then pulled him away.

The girl stared at me, open mouthed for several seconds before she stammered, "I-I… How did you… do that?"

"Unimportant," I stated seriously, raising my blaster to her head.

"Leah," Carth growled warningly.

"Relax Onasi," I snapped, glancing at him briefly, then turning back to the girl. "Now listen, ya spoiled li'l brat. I don' wanna see ya again, ya hear me? If I do see ya, I am gonna harm ya. In many physically painful ways, understand?"

Her head nodded, eyes wide.

"Grea'," I stated happily, slipping the blaster back into its holster. "Now, run along before I give ya a black eye."

The girl ran away, tears in her eyes as she cried for her daddy. I laughed. Onasi shook his head, staring at me as though I were insane.

"So, le's go check ou' the equipmen' emporium," I said, heading over to the door to said store. Onasi followed me quietly.

The door slid open and the woman behind the desk looked up, smiling brightly. "Hello, and welcome to the-," she stopped suddenly, staring at me intently. Her smile widened impossibly as she exclaimed, "Hey, I know you! You're the Mysterious Stranger! Oh, please, take a look around! Let me know if you see anything you like!"

"Thank ya, ma'am," I said, nodding at her as I moved around the shop. Onasi moved off in a different direction, something catching his eye.

I weaved through several isles of the store, absolutely nothing catching my interest. It wasn't until I had made it almost to the back of the store that I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.

In the back corner of the store, there was a mannequin wearing a black, ankle-length trench coat, a black vest, and black gloves. Approaching, I reached out to run my fingers across the coat. Tuk'ata leather; nice! Glancing around, I pulled the coat off and slipped it on myself. It fit perfectly!

Next I examined the vest. It was clearly made of a blaster-resistant material, which would be excellent considering I currently have nothing but a tank top protecting my torso. There were three pockets on the front of the vest and one on each side. The gloves were made of a similar material, each of the knuckles hardened slightly. I grabbed the vest and the gloves and started to move back toward the register, when I noticed something else.

The bottom most shelf on the unit next to the mannequin had been knocked slightly out of place, revealing a space underneath. Crouching down, I pulled the shelf out and placed it on the ground. Within the space, there was a weapon case. Upon opening the case, I gasped.

Inside the case was a Kardot-X Prototype blaster pistol. These things aren't even supposed to be in stores yet; they're still in testing.

I pulled the blaster out of its case, reverently. It was surprisingly lightweight. The grip had a dark, wooden finish and there was a second barrel under the main barrel for explosive rounds.

Glancing around nervously to ensure I wasn't being watched, I raised the KX in both hands and took aim at one of the many mannequins lining the wall. It felt comfortable in my hand, unlike most blasters that I had used before. Deciding that I would make this pistol mine, I placed it back in the case, then closed it and picked it, along with the gloves and vest, up. I pushed the shelf back into place with my foot, then headed toward the front.

"Excuse me, ma'am," I called as I approached the register. She looked up, a bright smile still on her face, which dropped instantly upon noticing the weapon case. "I'd like ta buy these."

"Where,uh… Where did you find that?" she stuttered nervously.

"In a secre' compartment tha' wasn' hidden very well," I replied, placing all of my items on the counter. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Onasi approaching with what appeared to be a set of GenoHaradan mesh armor. "Find somethin' tha' caught yer fancy?"

"Yes," he replied, placing it on the counter. "I figured it would work as a mercenary disguise."

"Thinkin' along the same lines as me? Mercenaries are generally ignored by the Sith," I replied. He nodded and I turned to the woman behind the counter. "So, could ya go ahead 'n' ring this stuff up?"

"I'm afraid the blaster isn't for sale," she replied. I glared at her, causing her to fidget nervously. "I would be more than happy to sell you the rest though."

"I'll take the KX too, thank ya," I stated evenly.

"It's not for sale," she snapped.

"Funny thing," I said brightly, glancing around the shop. "I' looks ta me like the Sith may have confiscated all of yer heavy and advanced weapons and armor." I turned to look at her, a smile on my face. "I wonder wha' they'd say if they found ou' about yer hidden compartments?"

She started to sweat slightly as she fidgeted even more. Onasi turned away, watching the door.

"I, uh, I suppose I could make an exception and sell you the KX," she said, trying to smile, but failing miserably. "I'll just ring this up for you."

"Thank ya kindly, ma'am," I said, smiling happily. Glancing around the shop, I noticed several holsters hanging from a rack to my right. "Oh, before ya ge' too far, I'll take one o' these as well." I grabbed an under arm holster off the rack and placed it on the counter.

"Better buy these too," Onasi muttered, setting three communicator earpieces on the counter. I nodded in agreement, then looked at the woman expectantly.

Twenty minutes later, Onasi and I left our apartment; both dressed in our new clothes. We each had one of the earpieces. The third we had left with Kerensky so that she could stay updated. My new KX rested comfortably in its holster under my left arm, the old pistol still attached at my hip.

As we were heading north, we passed by an old man who was being harassed by two other males, one human and the other Aqualish.

"Davik says you missed your last payment," the human said. Wonderful; Exchange thugs.

"_Davik doesn't like you missing payments,_" the Aqualish continued.

The elderly man glanced between them nervously as he stuttered, "Here, I-I've got fifty credits. A down payment! That should buy me some time, right?"

"Sorry, you're out of time," the human stated, shaking his head lightly as he gripped the hilt of his blaster, preparing to draw it. "Now it's all or nothing. Davik can't have people not paying his debts."

"B-But I don't have that much," the old man whimpered, backing away. "How can I give you credits I don't have?"

"_That's too bad,_" the Aqualish sneered, moving toward the man. "_Davik's going to want to make an example of you! You're coming with us!_"

"No!" the elderly man shouted. "Help! Somebody help! They're going to kill me!"

Onasi grabbed my arm to keep me from walking passed. "Look, I know we're trying not to draw attention to ourselves," he started, glancing at the three of them from the corner of his eye, "but are we really going to just let them drag this guy off?"

"Tha' was my plan," I replied, pulling my arm away from him.

"You can't just leave that man to die!" Kerensky snapped over the comlink. As I was about to reply, the human thug interrupted.

"Hold on a second," he stated, "looks like we got ourselves some witnesses here."

Oh, please, for the love of the galaxy, don't let him be talking about us. Turning, I found that he was looking right at us. Damn it!

"_Davik doesn't like witnesses,_" the Aqualish growled.

I stared at the two of them evenly for several moments. Onasi gave me a hopeful look. Damn it.

As the two thugs moved to draw their weapons, I snapped the KX from its holster and fired a shot at the human's head. The man's head whipped backwards so hard that his neck snapped, his body crumpling immediately. I spun the pistol to face the other thug, squeezing the trigger once more and watching in satisfaction as the shot nailed him in the chest, lifting him briefly off his feet before dropping him next to his partner.

A low whistle left my lips as I returned the pistol to its holster, raising an eyebrow at Onasi as he gawked at me. "What?" I asked.

"Can I get one of those?" he questioned, staring at the blaster hopefully.

"Well, technically, these ain't even s'posed ta be in stores ye', so, tha' depends on whether or not yer willin' ta steal one from those bastards at Czerka Corporation," I replied, shrugging nonchalantly. I gave him a cheerful grin as I added, "If so, I'll be glad ta help. I hate Czerka."

Onasi looked as if he was about to reply when the old man finally came out of his shocked stupor. "Th-thank you," he stammered, turning to face me. "I owe you my-"

"No," I stated, holding my hand up. "Don' even go there. I'll be on my way now."

I turned and walked away, Onasi following behind me. I could feel him staring at the back of my head. "What?" I snapped, glancing at him over my shoulder.

"Nothing," he replied, grinning. I continued to glare at him until he laughed and said, "It's just that you're helping an awful lot of people for a mercenary who supposedly has no morals."

I sneered at him, then turned my eyes back forward as I replied, "I ain't doin' i' ta help anyone! The people who harass 'em all jus' happen ta be my enemies." Then I glanced over my shoulder to give him a brief glare. "Does i' say tha' in my profile?"

"Does it say what?" he asked curiously.

"Tha' I have no morals," I muttered. He made to reply when I cut him off. "I's not true, ya know?"

"I said supposedly," he replied, shrugging at me. "It says that in your profile. I never said I believe it."

"Good," I muttered, quickening my pace. I stopped upon reaching a small square with a fountain in the middle. After staring at the fountain for a few minutes, then looking at the area around me, I turned to Onasi and asked, "Where are we s'posed ta be goin'?"

"Well, we need to catch a turbolift to the Lower City," he replied, pointing to an alcove down the street. I made to head in that direction when he continued, "However, only Sith and those with the proper paperwork are allowed to go to the Lower City."

"Great," I muttered, turning and sitting on the edge of the fountain. "So, how do we ge' the papers?"

"You can't," Kerensky replied over the comlink. "Only those affiliated with the Sith can get authorization to go to the lower areas of the city."

"How the hell d'you know tha'?" I asked, resting my head in my hands.

"I've been studying the extranet," she replied dismissively. I sighed.

"So, we've got no way of gettin' down there," I replied, glaring at him. He merely smirked at me. I stared at him for several moments before I continued, "Unless o' course we were ta kill a couple o' Sith an' take their uniforms."

"They have a habit of raiding the apartment complexes," Onasi said, looking at a building behind me that was similar to the apartment we were staying in. "I'm sure if we were to stay around one for a while, we'd be able to catch a raiding party once they're inside the building and have no backup."

"Ya know," I murmured, getting up from my perch on the fountain, "there may jus' be some hope fer you." I looked over at the apartment building, then at Onasi, a small grin forming on my lips. "Shall we?"

As it turns out, Onasi was right: the Sith are very fond of raiding apartment buildings. Not even an hour after we took up watch outside the building, a Sith patrol marched into the lobby. Glancing at each other, the two of us quickly followed them into the building. The three men in their silver armor had just stepped into the lift when I shouted, "Excuse me, could ya hold the lift please?"

One of the men placed his in front of the door as Onasi and I quickly entered the lift. "Thank ya friend," I said cheerfully. The trooper nodded, but otherwise did not acknowledge me. How rude.

As the lift began to rise, I did a quick sweep of the elevator. Finding no cameras anywhere, I nodded discreetly at Onasi. He nodded back, his body tensing slightly.

Onasi pulled the emergency brake at the same time that I pulled the knife from my sleeve and buried it through one of the trooper's faceplate. I pulled the rifle from his hand and turned to smash the butt of the weapon over the back of another's head, knocking him unconscious. The last soldier was bringing his rifle to bear on me when I knocked it out of his hands with a roundhouse kick. I slammed the rifle into the side of his head, then brought the butt of it down onto the back of his neck, breaking it.

As the last trooper fell, I turned and retrieved my knife from the first man's face. I quickly pulled the helmet off of the unconscious man and slit his throat. Turning, I found Onasi staring at me with the same look that Olgo and Kerensky gave me when I killed the dark Jedi.

"Did it work?" Kerensky asked, curiously.

"Yes," I replied, glancing over the three dead Sith troopers. "Their armor should fit well enough."

"Excellent! Though, you may want to come back and get some sleep before you head down to the Lower City. You probably won't get another chance for sleep down there."

"Sounds good," Onasi said, snapping out of his stupor. "We'll take care of everything here and come back up."

That said, we stripped two of the troopers of their armor and stowed the three of them on the top of the lift. After that was done, we took the lift back down and headed back to our apartment.

The sun had just dropped below the horizon when we arrived back at the apartment. Just as the duros had promised, there was no trace of the Sith officer or his droids. Upon entering the apartment, Kerensky was immediately asking for every detail of our day. I ignored her, instead taking off my coat and boats and dropping onto my back on the couch. I was asleep almost instantly.

"_MALAK!"_

_The man in question whirled around to face me as the snarl left my throat. Genuine fear flashed across his features as he opened his mouth to speak. I waved my hand and his mouth snapped shut, his eyes widening. The Bridge crew of the _Leviathan_ watched on in interest. Admiral Karath flinched, backing away from him._

"_Malak," I hissed, my voice calmer this time as I reeled in my anger. "Would you like to explain to me why Telos IV has been turned into a smoldering ruin?" I mentally seized my Shadow Hand's throat, causing a sharp gasp to escape his mouth. "I hope for your sake that I like your response."_

_I released the grip I had on him, letting him fall to his knee in front of me. "Master," he gasped, looking up at me with pleading eyes. "I-I thought… It-it was my understanding that you wanted our enemy in this sector wiped out and I believed that it would be a perfect opportunity to test Admiral Karath's loyalty to our cause! I only wished to fulfill your orders my-"_

_I seized his throat again, lifting him off of his feet. "You ignorant son of a bitch!" I snapped, throwing him backwards into the viewport at the front of the Bridge. The transparisteel cracked, causing the blast shield to slam into place. Malak dropped to his hands and knees, groaning in pain. A quick blast of Force lightning caused him to cry out in agony._

"_You're an imbecile, Malak," I muttered, moving next to him and crouching down to his level. "I wanted the Republic military bases on the planet to be destroyed. That was my command! How did that give you the impression that I wanted the entire planet bombarded!"_

"_I-"_

"_SILENCE!" I snarled. The Force reacted to my anger, slamming him fully to the ground. "You will only speak when I allow it!" I stood up to my full 5'11" and whirled around, pacing back and forth as I contemplated what to do from here. After several moments of tense silence, I sighed and turned back to Malak._

"_You of course understand that such disobedience cannot go unpunished," I said, mentally lifting him onto his knees. "Millions of innocent lives were lost on Telos, Malak. Genocide!" I unclipped my lightsaber from my belt, the crimson blade coming to life with a snap-hiss._

"_I'm sorry Malak," I murmured. His eyes widened considerably as I raised the saber. "But, I must make an example out of those who disobey my orders."_

_The crimson blade came down, an agonized, gurgling scream leaving my best friend's throat as his lower jaw dropped to the ground. Both his hands came up to cover the wound, tears escaping his eyes as he fell forward, his forehead resting against the cool metal of the deck. I turned to face the other occupants of the room. They stared at Malak in shocked horror._

"_This is the price for disobedience!" I growled, my eyes roving around the room and meeting each and every one of theirs, though they probably couldn't tell. The last person I faced was Karath. "Anyone who disobeys me will face my wrath! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!"_

"_Yes milord!" everyone, Karath included, called out._

"_Good," I muttered, shaking my head. "Karath."_

"_Yes milord?" he replied, snapping to attention._

_"Get a medical crew up hear," I ordered. He nodded and began shouting orders into his comlink. Turning, I marched from the Bridge, Malak's agonized gurgles following me as I went._

My eyes flew open as I sat upright, pistol in hand. I glanced around the room, ensuring that there was no immediate threat in the area. Once I was sure that I was alone, I slipped my blaster back into its holster and rested my head in my hands.

I wasn't going to be getting anymore sleep tonight.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Alright, next chapter we'll be heading down to the Lower City. I make no promises as to when the next chapter will be up, though. Also, if anyone is interested, I'm going to post a link to a picture of Leah's KX blaster pistol on my profile.<strong>


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